The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-21
AN ENGINEERS EXPERIENCE
The Difference Between Running a Loco
motive in the Early Days and Now.
The Probable Cause of the Chatsworth Wreck
-"0ld" John Broughs Management of the
Bee Line-SoI Of the Oldest Engineers.

"When did / begin railroading1 Let me see. /"
yaid Adoniram J. Poole. who was for many years
locomotive engineer running into this city, but
who retired about dozen years ago. II began
IN March, 1853-that's over thirty four years ago
on the Grand Trunk road. running between
Portland, Maine. and Island Pond, Vermont I
was on the American end of the road, which ex-
tended on TO Montreal and one branch to Quebec
Railroading then comparatively in its in
fancy, but 1 think there some things that
have not since been improved as much as they
should have been, while others are hardly as
good as they were then. was fireman at first,
but in about year was running an engine.
We didn't then average moro than twenty miles
en- hour on passenger trains. At that time part
OF the road was laid with the old Ut rail These
were laid tmbers lengthwise with the rail,
instead of as now on ties crosswise. Accidents
comparatively few. because even if the
train off the track the speed was not sufi-
eient to cause much of smashup. The bridges
were new, but they were moro substantial than
many bridges that have been built since. The
culverts Of stone and that is what roads
should have now. Why right here in Indiana,
where stone is plenty, they insist on using tim
Der, and repairs made with timber year after
neither.
az came to Indiana in the winter OF 1856,
Christmas week. and went the road that
then ran from Richmond to Logansport In
February, 1857, went on the Bee-line. have
had wonderful good luck the road. In all
my service never received scratch. / have
been in collisions turned over two or three
times, but Lever hurt. Once
two rails were thrown. and every car went off.
But they went straight and didn't pile up, and
nobody was hurt.
"Oid John Brough manager of the Bee
line. He was president and everything else
down to switchman. He the road and his
word was law. 1 wish some of these new
tangled railroad officers could old John. 1t
would be better than college course for en-
He was a man OF the best judgment and caution.
the safest railroad manager L ever saw and
might say the most successful. Old John didn't
sit in glded Office smoking three-for- a-dollar
cigars ride in $4,000 palace coaches
but he was hand day and night
looking after things. He didn't ask any
body to stay out longer or work harder
than he did. He would swear like a pirate, but
was always approachable and never discharged
employe without hearing what he had to say
in solf-defense If man had met with an acct
dent which was not attributable 80 neglect or
earlessness, he had no fear to face John Brough.
Let an employe 60 into a superintendents office
and try TO explain an accident or short
coming. Nine times out of ten he is shut off
with We don't want to hear your story at all,
sir Brough would never allow double header
60 be run over bridge. The bridges were new
and strong. but whenever it was necessary to
send out doub header he would make US cut
loose when going over bridge.
THE locomotives now running will average
one-tbird heavier than twenty years ago. and
the bridges are little, if any, stronger than they
were In those days. There few men who
comprehend the great strain given bridge by a
train running at a speed Of forty miles an hour.
When double header is run over bridge at
high speed there is immense spring to it, and
the strain is brought to point. while. with a
eli frain he str i'm he n n n
brought to one point. A span $50 fee: long
night have locomotives put upon it along its
entire length, and it might easily support them,
but two locomotives run over IL at thirty miles
an hour might throw IL down. Ii is the lateral
motion that does it. My Judgment is that test
ing n brigde by covering 1t with heavily-loaded
Ears and locomotives is worth very little, and
bridge that would be safe slow trains might
not be on trains of high speed
ENGINEERS always dread bridges and cul-
verts. On solid track, with clear road, the
engineer is not afraid of speed, but likes 1t; he
likes the exhilaration of eoiIg rapidly, just as
nearly everybody does. My opinion is that if
that r., p. & w. train had been run in two sec
tions every thing would have gone over it in
ga ETY.. The fact that the first engine went over
all right would support that theory. You have
read that one of the engineers requested the
euper ctendent to run the train in two sections.
but the superintendent decided otherwise. OF
course the engineer was man or experience,
while the superintendent was man of author
ity. The trouble nowadays is that the superin-
tendent is too much man of the Office and not
enough a man of the road. He has theory. but
is deficient in practical experience. There
superintendents on roads running into this city
who never had any practical knowledge, but
have come MP to their positions from Office
clerkshps, and the lives of the travelling public
are In the hands of these men.
*. 1--WE narrowly escaped disaster here few
weeks ago that might have been even greater
than the terrible tragedy az Chatsworth, when
the Charity picnic train with 1,2OO children
started to Bethany Park. People ought to be
kept in mind of the fact that that was a narrow
miss of an awful horror. Nothing prevented
that acciden but the guard rail of oaken tmbers
on the bridge"
How long do engineers lastl'
"Well, there engineers running in this
country who are sixty years old-not many,
though. They usually retire before that age.
Of the locomotive produces kidney troubles in
MANY persons. So far eyesight concerned,
engineers eyes, being in constant practice
and training, last we'll There are a
have been running many years. There Ste
phen Ladd, LATE Sutton and John Eusey, who,
believe the oldest. Eusey is old as
the others. He is called the Flying Dutchman.'
He Is not wild or careless man, but there are
times a man must get there and Eusey got
there Perhaps he has not made any better
runs than others the road. On the L., ID. 81
s. there Wells Davis. Mason Fletcher and
VIM. Blythe; the l., B. 81 W.. John Connolly
and John Rodgers and the Jacksonville,
John Christian There have been many changes
in the last few years, old men going out and
young men coming In.
On the Lake Erie 81 Western is Philip Boyn-
ton, who has been on that road-the old Peru
ductor on the Big Four, formerly one of the
old engineers and good one. He is a good
znau anywhere about a railroad"
Case for Lynch Law.
Chicago Journal
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